Portable jail or cage.



DI a 0 0 .l- B G N "U 0 Y A J PORTABLE JAIL 0R CAGE.

(Applicatiop filed Jim. 29, i902.)

isms-sheet (No Model.)

wvwmoocy r a: co, PHOYO-LAYNO WASHINGTON. u. c.

J. A. YUUNGBLOOD.

PORTABLE JAIL DB CAGE.

- (Appiication filed Jan. 29, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Sheats-Sheet 2.

Nu. 715,927. Patented Dec. l6, I902.

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m: M'uwls PETERS c0 fvnmoumo WASHINGTON. n. c.

- U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ALGERNON YoUNeBLooD, OF TROY, ALABAMA.

I PIORIIABLEQ-JQAIL o RcAeE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 715,927, dated December16, 1902.

Application filed January 29, 1902. Serial No. 91,694. (No model.)

highways and other kinds of labor requiring constant movement from placeto place. While this class of labor is comparatively cheap, the cost ofguards and watchmen, especially at night, on rainy days, and Sundays, isconsiderable, and barracks or a jail erected at each stopping-place isimpracticable.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide astructure which may be readily transported over ordinary roads and willconstitute a secure place of confinement for prisoners when not at work,thus obviating the necessityof a number of guards.

One of the important features of theinvention resides in a cage or jailconstructed in such a manner that it can be supported upon ordinaryvehicle-wheels, and while giving necessary room to allow convictsassuming recumbent or upright positions will occupy comparatively littlespace and be low enough to avoid danger of overturning.

Another important feature to be noted is the specific construction ofthe jail or cage,

the sides of which are formed of slats or bars arranged in such a manneras to constitute braces for the cage and prevent its sagging.

The construction described in the follow-- ing specification and shownin the acc01npanying drawings is'considered the preferable embodiment ofthe invention but the right is reserved to make such changes in thedetails of construction as the scope of the ap pended claims willpermit.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portable cage orjailembodying the present improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectionalview. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation more clearly illustrating theconstruction of the door. I

Similar numerals of'reference designate I bottom.

persons side by side.

corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings. l The cage orjail is in the form of an inclosed body comprising a top 10 and a bottom11, formed of metal plates and connected by side and end walls 12 and13. These side Walls are in the form of gratings comprising slats orbars 14, arranged in intersecting relation and disposed obliquely to thetop and The body is provided with an enlarged central portion thatextends above and below the main portion and is provided with a doorway15, closed by agrated door 16, pivoted at one edge to the door-jarnb 17by hinges 18, the other edge having a lock 19, the bolt of whichdetachably engages the opposite jamb. The diagonal or obliquearrangement of the slats orbars 14 is for the purpose of bracing thebody to prevent sagging, and it will be noted that the bars which extendfrom the upper corners of the body pass along the side edges of thedepending portion of the extension, while the bars which extend from thelower corners of the body project upwardly and are located along theside edges of the upwardlyprojecting portion of the central enlargement.Trusses are thereby formed which will readily maintain the body againstsagging. The contracted portions of the body constitute thesleeping-apartments, and in the. form shown they are divided byhorizontal platform 20 into separate compartments.

These platforms and the bottoms of the contracted portions constitutebunks upon which the convicts sleep, the body being preferably made wideenough to provide room for two The bottoms 11 have extensions 21, whichproject into the enlarged portion, and vertical walls 22 extend from thebottom of the enlarged portion toward the ends of these extensions,forming pockets or receptacles 23 for clothing or other articles. Theplatforms 20 have their inner ends 24 projecting into the enlargedportion,and these ends are preferably hinged, as at 25, to permit theirbeing folded back and out of the way when the platform is not in use, soas to afford more space in said enlarged portion. In the preferred formof construction the platforms 20 are detachably supported in place, andfor this purpose angle-brackets 26 are secured along the inner faces ofthe sides, forming grooves in which are detachably fitted flanges 27,arranged upon the side edges of the platform. The corners and edges ofthe body are protected and secured together by suitable anglestrips 28.

The body, as above described, is supported on wheels 31, which arejournaled on transverse axles 32, secured in any suitable manner acrossthe bottom on opposite sides of the enlarged portion. Suitable brakes33, operated in any desired manner, may be provided for the hind wheels.A tongue 34 is secured to the front axle, so that a team of horses maybe hitched to the vehicle in the usual manner.

By this construction it will be seen that an exceedingly simple jail orcage is provided, which may be readily transported from place to placeand will constitute a secure place of confinement for prisoners. Thecage or body sets comparatively low on the running-gear, so that thereis little danger of its overturning, and at the same time it isthoroughly braced against sagging by the bars which constitute the sidewalls. The enlarged portion is high enough to permit the imprisonedconvicts to stand upright, while the contracted or main body portionsform the sleeping-apartments. They are thus given sufiicient room toassume any necessary position and can be kept in their cages on Sundaysor rainy days, when it is impossible to work.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. Forinstance, the enlarged portion need not be in the central portion of thebody, as shown, and under certain conditions it may be desirable toplace it in different relations with respect to the main body. Thespecific arrangement, therefore, while being preferable for the styleshown and described may be changed about considerably, so that thedesirable standing-room is provided, while the body as a whole remainslow with respect to the runmug-gear.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having an enlargedportion that extends above the top of the main body, said body beingprox ided in its exterior wall with a doorway that communicates with theenlarged portion, and a door closing the doorway.

2. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having an enlargedportion that extends below the bottom thereof, said body having aslatted exterior wall that covers one side of the enlarged portion andis provided with a doorway that comm nnciates with said enlargedportion, and a door mounted upon the body and closing said doorway.

3. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having an enlargedportion that extends above and below the main portion, said body beingprovided in its exterior wall with a doorway that communicates with theenlarged portion, and a door closing said doorway.

4. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having an enlargedportion .provided with a doorway, a door closing the doorway, and abunk-platform located in the main portion and projecting into theenlarged portion.

5. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having an enlargedportion provided with a doorway, a door closing the doorway, and abunk-platform located in the main body and having one end projectinginto the enlarged portion, said projecting end being hinged and capableof being swung back out of said enlarged portion.

6. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having an enlargedportion that is provided with a doorway, a door closing the doorway, anda bunk-platform detachably secured in the main portion and projectinginto the enlarged portion.

7. In a portable jail orcage, a body having an intermediate enlargedportion extending above and below the main portions and provided with adoorway, a door closing the doorway, and bunk-platforms located in thebody on opposite sides of the enlarged portion.

8. In a portable jail or cage, a body, front and rear wheels supportingthe body, said body having an intermediate enlarged portion that extendsabove and below the main portions and is located between the walls, saidenlarged portion being provided with a doorway, a door closing thedoorway, and bunkplatforms located in the body and having their innerends projecting into the enlarged portion, the projecting ends ofcertain bunkplatforms being foldable back out of the enlarged portion.

9. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body comprising a top, ends,a bottom and sides, said sides consisting of sets of spaced slats orbars arranged across each other and disposed in oblique relation to thetop and bottom, one side being provided with a doorway, the outer slatsor bars upon each side of said doorway converging downwardly to thesame.

10. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having an enlargedcentral portion and comprising a top, a bottom and sides, said sidesconsisting of slats or bars arranged in intersecting relation to eachother and disposed in oblique relation to the top and bottom.

11. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having an enlargedportion that extends below the bottom of the main structure, said bottomprojecting into the enlarged portion,

j ecting bottom and the'bottom of the enlarged portion to form areceptacle beneath said projecting bottom.

12. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body comprising top, bottom,end and side walls, said side walls being of grated construction,angle-strips securing the several walls together,said body beingprovided with an enlarged portion that projects above and below the mainstructure and havinga doorway, and a door closing said doorway.

13. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having slattedsidewalls, and an enlarged integral portion that extends above the topof and across the main body said enlarged portion being provided with adoorway located in the side wall of the body and in the contractedportion above the bottom] thereof.

16. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body comprising an enlargedintermediate portion, and contracted portions located on opposite sidesof the enlarged portion and communicating therewith, and bunk-platformslocated in the contracted portions above the bottom thereof.-

i re 6 17. In a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body comprising anintermediate enlarged portion, and contracted end portions located onthe opposite sides of the enlarged portion and communicating therewith,bunk-platforms located in the contracted portions and havingtheir innerends disposed within the enlarged portion, said body being provided inits side wall with a doorway that opens into the enlarged portion, and adoor closing the doorway.

18. Io a portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having bunk-platformsarranged horizontally thereinacertain of the platforms being disposedabove the bottom of the body, saidplatforms being inclosed by the wallsof the cage or jail except at one point, the cage or jail being enlargedat that point to a degree admitting of a person standing within the cageor jail beyond the bunk-platforms.

19. Ina portable jail or cage, an inclosed body having'bunk-platformsarranged horizontally therein, certain of the platforms being disposedabove the bottom of the body, said platforms being inclosed by the wallsof the cage or jail except at one point, the cage or jail being enlargedat that point to a degree admitting of a person standing within the cageor jail beyond the bunk-platforms, and an exteriorly-arranged door onthe cage or jail communicating with the said enlarged portion.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES ALGERNUN YOUNGBLOOD.

Witnesses:

R. N. McLean, J. R. MOTES.

